History of Makeup:  Makeup is a world full of delights, from bold and wide eyes to a sharp nose and brows, from a contoured face to reddened cheeks, and from pouty lips to a winged eyeliner. Have you ever considered where the makeup we use today to enhance our beauty originates from? Keep reading if you are keen to get to its roots, as we’ll take you on a journey back in time to 7000 years or more and dates back to the year 10,000 BC. Yes! It is a long journey to explore.

Who would have guessed that the makeup we use today: to enhance our features and beauty; was formerly used for absolutely different purposes? It served to vanquish evil eyes, dangerous spirits, medicinal purposes, impressing Gods, and distinguish social status. That’s exactly how it began.

It is an invention of ancient Egypt. Natural elements such as pulverized nuts, minerals, animal fat, and vegetable oils; were used to make the products. Makeup that has started to be worn by men today, breaking a taboo, was initially intended to be an ornament for both men and women. It was the evolution that made makeup gender-focused over time. But with the world accepting men in cosmetics today, it has begun to shatter that stereotype once again.

It all started by preserving cleanliness and health about 10,000 BC. It was the time in the era when both men and women took care of their natural skin by applying scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin. And not only that, it helped them to keep their skin hydrated and disguise body odor. The people applied oils and lotions not as moisturizers only but also as sun-block to keep skin protected from the sun and dryness. Thyme, chamomile, lavender, lily, peppermint, rosemary, rose, aloe, olive oil, sesame oil, and almond oil were among the ingredients used in perfumes.

As time passed, skincare evolved into makeup; for reasons that are no longer relevant in today’s world. Both men and women decked themselves up with makeup in 4000 B.C. People used to link it directly to the spiritual value of an individual. As makeup back then was worn to please gods rather than men or anyone else.

Kohl – The Famous Eyeliner:
Both the genders used kohl as eyeliner to make their eyes look black. They made kohl from a combination of metal, lead, copper, ash, and roasted almonds. It served with medicinal properties. And, according to current research, kohl has been found to aid in the prevention of infectious diseases since lead kills bacteria. Because of the soot used in kohl, it also helped in protecting against the sun. The same kohl; was applied to the god sculptures as well.

Eyeshadows have a long history, dating back to when it was achieved, with a mixture of copper and lead ore. The green eyeshadow specifically was to fend off illness. The shade was put to the lower eyelids, especially to summon the gods Horus and Ra. On the upper eyelids, these green tints were used together with dark grey and black color. Eyeshadow to enhancing the eye shapes, even more, to transform it into an almond shape, Egyptians did it all. They used to achieve the almond shape of eyes with the help of kohl powder. It doesn’t stop there; the dramatic liner worn at the time was intended to show off people of money and position.

The lipsticks were made, of red clay or red ochre, a mined clay: washed and dried in the sun. Its colors would be unusual due to its exposure to the sun. Some folks would also put it in the fire to make it brighter and enhance its hues. This clay or combination was then combined with water or animal fat and applied to the lips and cheeks. The same red ochre, carmine, beeswax, flowers, fish scales, and crushed ants served to make Cleopatra’s famed lipstick. According to a Harvard study, the most popular lipstick hues at the time were: red, orange, magenta, and blue-black.

Now, this was the time when cosmetics began to differentiate across social classes. Chinese started using gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax, and egg to dye nails. The colors, on the other hand, reflected the social status. For example, dynasty royals would use gold and silver, while successive royals wore black and red. But people belonging to the poor class were not allowed to wear bright colors. Grecian women began to stain and paint their faces with white lead, oblivious to the potential for harm and peril. They would, however, blend it with crushed mulberries and create their concoction. Eventually, by 1500 BC, people started using rice powder to appear white. While using henna to tint hair and faces, with shaved brows and gold and silver painted teeth. By 1000 BC, Grecian women started to obtain a white complexion by using face powder; made of chalk or lead. And a red lipstick made of ochre clays and red iron. The ancient Greeks and Romans were known for using powders derived from powdered minerals and stones to paint their faces.

Now came the Elizabethan era, when red hair dye and egg whites on the face to make it look pale was famous. Pale skin was fashionable from the middle to the end of the nineteenth century. Only prostitutes or women from the lower middle class would wear lipstick on their lips, colors on cheeks, or eyes. Throughout fact, wearing cosmetics was thought to be wrong and immoral in the middle Ages.

Even in the 20th century, primarily prostitutes and low-class women were supposed to use makeup. The pale color represented women with higher status as it demonstrated that they do not go out to work and could afford all day at home. In the past era, women who used to go out, their color used to get dark due to exposure to the sun. It was the same perspective from the middle age until the 19th century that continued in the 20th century. But, over time, products like lipsticks, mascaras, and nail polishes began to resurface as a fashion trend in the same century.

Max Factor, which used to supply wigs to Hollywood studios, took a breakthrough advance in 1914 and invented a foundation that didn’t seem cakey. By the 1920s, he started advertising his products to the general public, suggesting, they too, could appear like their favorite movie stars by using his products. Meanwhile, in 1915 Maybelline got established. T.L Williams introduced a lash formula produced using petroleum jelly and coal dust. He took this idea from his sister Mabel, which was a huge success. Since then, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Clinique, and other cosmetic companies have emerged, and the makeup industry has never looked back.
The makeup industry has now become such a success that as of the year 2020, its worth is $532 billion. And based on the current trend and numbers, it is expected to touch $800 billion by 2025.

History of Makeup | Blog Article | Lash Pilot | June 29, 2021 | All rights reserved.